Oil-gas generator.



PATENTED yJUNE 21, 1904.

F. H. BATES. OIL GAS GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED nu 6.1903.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented June 21, 1904.

,'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BATES, OF SAN; FRANOTSGO, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-GAS GENERATOR. Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentrNo. 763,039, dated June 21, 1904. i Application filed May 6, 1903. Serial No. 155,872. (No model.)

To all whom. it ina/y concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BATES, a citizen of the UnitedY States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of generators in which vapor is driven olf from liquid hydrocarbon by subjecting' it to a suitable heating medium, usually the exhaustgases from an explosive-engine, said vapor, with the necessary' complement of air, being thence taken to operate the engine.

My invention consists in the novel-,constructions, arrangements, Vand combinations, which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and eifective means for maintaining the desired level of the oil in the vaporizingchamber.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of my generator. Fig. 2 is an enlarged crossfv section of same on line ofY Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view, enlarged, of the scraper. n g' A is the outer shell, having the heads c. Vithin this shell is a vessel'B, forming the vaporizing-ehamber. This' vessel is sufciently smaller in diameter than the shell A to leave a circumscribing heating-space c, said space being divided horizontally by the web c2, ex-

tending between the shell A and vessel B, Fig. 2. The inlet to this space d for the heating medium is shown in Fig. l at c3, so that the heating-gases pass into the shell A in the space below the web a2 and thence flowing to the opposite end rise through ports c", 2, in the web to the space above and'thence back in the upper space to the exit c5, Fig. l; The oil is admitted to the vaporizing-ehamber B at The air is admitted at o', and the vapors pass oif through the exit b2 to the engine. From chamber B issue downwardly through the shell A to the exterior drains b3 of any suitable construction and connections.

Extending longitudinally through the oilchamber B is a screw-threaded shaft or rod C.

Vit on its axis. Seated upon this rod and engaging its threads after the manner of a nut is a scraper D in the shape of a disk having its periphery single or multiple and operating in frictional contact with the inner wall of the chamber B. The form of scraper here shown vhas a double rim provided with an intervening valley the better to receive and discharge the scrapings and to enable it to scrape in both directions. Upon the inner wall of the charnber B, at opposite sides, are longitudinallyextending ribs or feathers b4, which iit into grooves or seats Z in the sides of the scraper,

' Fig. 2, whereby the scraper is prevented from turning on its axis. It will readily be seen Vthat if the threaded rod C be turned it will `cause the scraper'to travel along the ribs if throughout the length of the vaporiZing-chamber B, thereby cleaning the walls of said chamber, and in order to not interfere with the passageV of the vapor to its exit the scraper is perforated, as shown at d.

In order to maintain constant the body or amount of oil in the generator, I have connected with the oil-chamber by the pipes e a casing E, which contains a iioat e. The entrance of oil to this casing is controlled by a valve c2, which is operated by the iioat through a pivoted lever @3, connected at one end with the yoke c4 of the float, and at the other end with a rod e5, joined to the valve c2.

F is the oil feed-pipe, which may be supposed to be connected with the pump or other source of oil-supply. This feed-pipe has a connection f to the casing E' above valve e2, and said pipe has also a relief-valve at f', and it thence may be supposed to extend to a suitable tank, unnecessary to show. When the oil in the vaporizing-chamber of the generator falls below the level determined upon, the level of the oil in casing F. falls also and the float descends. Through its connections the iioat opens valve @2, and the oil passes from the feed-pipe into'the casing and thence to the generator, raising the level of the oil therein. The float under these conditions rises and closes the valve e2. y The relief-valve TOO f is set to operate at the desired pressure, so that it remains closed below said pressure, and the oil is supplied to the casing E; but when the valve e2 is closed the relief-valve yields to the pressure ofthe pump, and though the pump continues in operation the oilr bypasses to the tank. relief-valve f in connection. with the ioat device permits of a delicate and suitable control of the level of the oil within the chamber B-a very necessary condition for economical Working. rlhe controlling-valve e2 is best constructed as a puppet-valve, so as to oti'er a very slight difference in area above and below its seat, permitting of effective operation with but a slight pressure of the ioat due to buoyancy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vapor-generator, and in combination with its vaporiZing-chamber and oil-feeding connections thereto, a valve in said connections for controlling the supply of oil to maintain a constant level in said chamber, and a relief-valve for by-passing the excess of oil.

2. In a vapor-generator and in combination with its vaporiZing-chamber and oil-feeding connections thereto, a puppet-valve in said connections for controlling the supply of oil to maintain a constant level in said chamber, and a relief-valve for by-passing the eX- cess of oil, said relief-valve being disposed in the feed connections on the feed side of the puppet-valve and adapted by its regulation to equalize the pressure of vapor tension on the other side of said puppet-valve.

Further, the use of the` 3. A vapor-generator comprising a vaporizing-chaniber, means for heating it, an oilsupply casing communicatingl with said chamber and arranged to maintain the same level of oil in both casing and chamber, a feed-pipe to said casing from a source of oil-supply under pressure, a valve controlling the entrance of oil from the feed-pipe to said casing, devices in the casing affected by the varying level of the oil therein to operate the valve to admit and cut off the oil as required, and a relief-valve in the feed-pipe tomaintain substantially the same pressure above andl below the controlling-valve whereby the said valve is practically balanced.

4. A vapor-generator comprising a vaporiZing-chamber, means for heating it, an oilsuppl y casing communicating with said chamber and arranged to maintain the same level of oil in both casing and chamber, a feedpipe to said casing from a source of oil-supply under pressure, a puppet-valve controlling the entrance of oil from the feed-pipe to said casing, a lioat in said casing and connections therefrom to operate the valve to admit and cut olf the oil as required, and a reliefvalve in the feed-pipe to maintain substantially the same pressure above and below the controlling-valve whereby the said valve is practically balanced.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK H. BATES.

Witnesses:

WALTER F. VANE, D. B. RICHARDS. 

